still could face paying as much as $23 billion in government fines for violating the clean water act. mark strassmann, cbs news, new orleans. >> pelley: in washington, senator john kerry will be sworn in later this week as the 68th secretary of state, succeeding hillary clinton. kerry was confirmed today by his senate colleagues 94-3. kerry, who is 69, is the son of a diplomat, a decorated veteran of the vietnam war, he made an unsuccessful run for president, as you recall, a democratic nominee in 2004. kerry has represented massachusetts in the senate for 28 years and chairs the foreign relations committee. one of the first challenges that kerry will face is syria's civil war. today there was another mass killing in the ancient city of aleppo. at least 50 young men were apparently executed. it's not clear who killed them or why. this war pits various rebel groups against the 40-year dictatorship of the assad family and clarissa ward is following the story for us tonight. >> reporter: they were dumped in a canal, their hands tied behind their backs. most of the men appear to have been